Portable clothes basket



Ap 1949. M. 1.. MAINE 2,467,900

PORTABLE CLOTHES BASKET Filed Feb. 8/1947 Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT iFlClE.

2,467,900 PORTABLE oLo'rHEs As ET Mathilda Ii. Maine, WestSuffield, Conn. p lica same 8, 1941; semi sq. mass This invention relates to improvements in clothes.- baskets.

The principal obj ect of the invention is the provision of a portable clothes basket which is easily and readily collapsed when not in use so as to occupy but small space.

The novel construction of the invention is characterized by novel means for releasably securing a clothes receptacle to a supporting frame thereby making it possible to easily and readily remove the receptacle making. it available for various reasons and purposes.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side and end elevational views of a clothes basket embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a section through one end of the clothes receptacle to explain the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a partial and elevational view of the clothes basket to enlarged scale and partly broken away to illustrate how the receptacle is releasably attached to the supporting frame work.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The clothes basket of the invention includes in a general way a foldable supporting frame 2 and a receptacle 4 which is releasably supported thereby.

The supporting frame includes a pair of supporting members in the form of Us having side arms 6 and transverse end members 8.

The frame members are preferably made from lightweight metal such as aluminum and are channel shaped in cross section.

The side arms 6 are pivoted at I0 so that the frame members may be swung to a collapsed position from the extended position shown in the drawings.

The ends of the side arms are provided with casters I2 whereby the clothes basket is rollably supported to facilitate ease in moving it about. Braces I3 have opposite ends secured to the side arms and are secured together at I5.

The receptacle may be made from any pliable 1 slam. (01. rec-e49? material such as, fabric,. rubber sheeting or the like. and will be. open at ts upper side. as shown, to receive clothes and the like.

Opposite ends of the receptacle at its upper side are formed to provide longitudinal loops I4 adapted to loosely receive rod like members I6. The loops I4 may be formed in any well known manner as by turning the edge portions of the receptacle inwardly and securing them.

The rod members I6 are longer in length than the distance between adjacent inner edges of the legs 6 of the channels forming the frame members so that the ends of said members may be disposed in the channels of the side members 6 between the legs thereof or behind the outermost leg.

The rod members It are slipped into the loops I4 at opposite ends of the receptacle and the loops are laid over and around the transverse members 8 of the frame members. The opposite ends of the rod members l6 are inserted in the channels of the frame members at opposite ends of the transverse members 8 by tilting the rods.

With opposite ends of the rod members disposed in the channels the receptacle is disposed between the transverse members 8 of the frame members as shown. The rod members may not readily be displaced yet when desired the receptacle may be disconnected from the supporting members.

The members 6 may be swung towards one another to collapsed relation with the receptacle between them and when the parts are in the position shown the clothes basket is readily rollable about.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A wheeled clothes basket construction comprising in combination, a pair of frame members each being in the form of a U having spaced side arms and upper transverse portions, the side arms of one of said members intermediate upper and lower ends thereof pivotally connected to corresponding portions of the other of said members whereby said members are relatively swingable between a closed position where the transverse members are adjacent one another and an open position where they are spaced apart, means to limit swinging of said members to open position, casters on the lower ends of said side arms, a receptacle having lower side and end walls and formed from flexible material, upper longitudinal portions of the end walls of said receptacle turned over onto and secured to said walls forming hollow tubes extending across said end walls, said frame members being channel shape in cross section having outer webs and legs extending inwardly therefrom in spaced relation and the legs of the side arms of the members extending towards one another, the upper longitudinal portions of the end walls of the receptacle extending outwardly, over and inwardly around the transverse portions of the side frames with the said tubes extending be- 2 tween the side arms thereof, longitudinal rods 0 in said tubes having opposite ends thereof disposed between the legs of the side arms whereby the end walls of the receptacle are connected to the transverse portions of the frame members. MATHILDA L. MAINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 192,851 Van Arnum July 10, 1877 354,713 Lawson et a1. Dec. 21, 1886 526,249 Meeker Sept. 18, 1894 694,289 Longston Feb. 25, 1902 1,310,669 Morgan July 22, 1919 1,604,683 Eberhart Oct. 26, 1926 2,014,904 Martin Sept. 17, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 443 201 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1934 

